Nestable and stackable container



Jan. 30, 1968 Filed Dec. 1, 1966 C. F. HINRICHS NESTABLE AND STACKABLE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 3

INVE/VT'OR C.F. H l NR! CH5 M W uy ATTORNEYS Jan. 30, 1968 c. F. HINRIICHS 3,36 7

NESTABLE AND STACKABLE CONTAINER Filed Dec. 1, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 50 3 5064 r 1 r-H llT MI] I] U U INVENTOR C.F. HINRICHS United States Patent Ofiice NESTABLE AND STACKABLE CONTAINER Charles F. Hiurichs, Bartlesville, Okla, assiguor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 598,291 6 Claims. (Cl. 220-97) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A nestable and stackable container is provided with a hinged bottom wall having opposite end walls attached thereto, releasable holding means being located in the top portion of each of said end walls to releasably grip a stilfening means, such as a wire loop, to retain the end Walls in a vertical stackable position or release the end walls to an inclined nestable position.

This invention relates to a nestable and stackable container. In one of its aspects the invention relates to a container and/or tote tray nestable with a plurality of similar empty trays and easily constructable to a stackable container with vertical side walls.

Light weight thermoplastic containers and/or tote trays have become increasingly popular in materials handling operations. One requirement for the containers is that they be capable of being shipped in bulk or stored in bulk without occupying an excessive amount of space. This requirement dictates that the containers be either collapsible or nestable. A further requirement of the containers or tote trays is that when in use, the filled containers are stackable with one another. The stacking requirement of the containers practically necessitates vertical side walls of the container for efiiciency of space and for strength in the side walls during stacking of filled containers. Generally, a vertical side wall is not possible in a nestable container. The container to be nestable almost dictates that the side walls flare outwardly so that one empty container may be placed at least partially within another empty container.

Many containers have been proposed to solve the problem of nestable and stackable containers. One such, container is disclosed in US. 2,528,551. In that patent there is disclosed a box or crate having a bottom wall and opposite sloping side walls forming a downwardly tapered container wherein at the ends of each box are supports bearing on the 'box bottom and adapted to be adjusted from an outwardly inclined position at which they permit the nesting of boxes to inwardly inclined positions where they will serve as supports for a super imposed box.

Another container which attempts to overcome the nesting and stacking problem is disclosed in British Patent 903,125 in which there is disclosed a two-piece box or crate with two opposite side walls sloping outwardly and two vertical end walls. The two-piece container is joined along the two side walls and the bottom with a hinge at the top portion of the side walls. Thus, the bottom wall can be folded upwardly by a small amount to allow the end walls to rotate through a small angle inward around the hinge. In this manner, the sloping end walls allow the container to be nestable when empty. This container, however, must be provided with a means to support each 3,365,274 Patented Jan. 30, 1968 case when in nesting condition or else the containers will become jammed when nested.

I have now discovered that an easily nestable tray which when desired for use can be assembled into a rigid container having upright or vertical side walls can be made by providing a hinge at the bottom of the side walls in combination with a separable strengthening means to hold the side walls in place. This allows the end walls of the container to pivot about the bottom wall in an outward direction for nesting.

By various aspects of this invention, one or more of the following, or other, objects can be obtained.

It is an object of this invention to provide a nestable and stackable container which when in stackable condition has vertical side walls and when in nestable condition has slanted side walls.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a thermoplastic container for carrying egg cartons, milk cartons and the like wherein a rigid container is provided when stacking is desired and wherein a nestable container is provided for storage and/or shipping of empty containers.

Other aspects, objects, and the several advantages of this invention are apparent to one skilled in the art from a study of this disclosure, the drawings, and the appended claims.

According to the invention, there is provided a container preferably made of thermoplastic material, the container having a bottom wall with a hinge extending from a first side to a second side, at least two upright end walls integrally connected to the bottom wall at a first end and at a second end, the upright end walls being so connected with the bottom wall that each end wall can rotateabout the hinge away from each other when the end walls are in the upright position, thereby allowing the container to be nestable. The container is further provided with a stiffening means to prevent the container end walls from rotating away from one another when in the vertical position. The container thus will be stackable when the side walls are vertical. In another embodiment, the container is provided at the upper portion of the side walls with a means to hold the stiifening means in place.

In another embodiment of the invention, the bottom wall hinge is integrally molded into the container thereby providing a substantially one-piece container. Additionally means may be provided to prevent the side walls from rotating about the hinge toward each other after they have reached the vertical position.

In still another embodiment, the container is made in two pieces being hinged along a pair of side walls attached to the first and second side of the container bottom wall.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention; FIGURE 2 is a sectional view along line 22 of FIG- URE 1; FIGURE 3 is a sectional view along line 33 of FIGURE 1; FIGURE 4 is a partial view of the side of the container showing the integral hinge embodiment of the invention; FIGURE 5 is a view of a plurality of containers according to the invention in nesting relationship; FIGURE 6 is an end view of the container shown in FIGURE 1; and FIGURE 7 is a top view of a container according to the invention showing still another embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, there is provided a thermoplastic container having end walls 4 and 6 integrally attached to bottom wall sections 16 and 18. End wall 4 is also attached to partial side walls 12 and 14. End wall 6 is attached to side walls 8 and 10. The container shown in FIGURES l and 2 is made in two pieces, one piece being end wall 4, bottom wall 18, and side walls 14 and 12. The other piece comprising end wall 6, bottom wall 16 and side walls and 8. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the two pieces will be substantially identical except that they are in reverse position as shown in the drawing. The two pieces are connected through integrally molded pin 20 which has groove 26 and engages slot 22 in side wall 8. Pin 21} is advantageously provided with a slot 24 which allows the pin 20 to be easily inserted into slot 22.

Bottom wall sections 16 and 18 are provided with a plurality of ridges or rims 28 integrally connected. A plurality of frusto pyramids 29 having cut out portions 30 are provided. In order to facilitate the rotation of the bottom wall about pin 20, an opening 32 is provided between bottom wall sections 16 and 18. The size of opening 32 will determine the amount of rotation of end walls 4 and 6 from the vertical. The bottom walls are further provided with a transverse ridge 34.

Side walls 8, 10, 12 and 14 are provided with a plurality of cut out portions at 36 which further lighten the weight of the carrier. The sloping side walls add strength between the upper portions of the end walls and the hinge area in the bottom wall.

The end walls 4 and 6 are provided with a plurality of cut out portions at 40 which can be used for pricing slots with a handle cut out area at 42 and with a hot stamp area 44. The end walls are strengthened by a plurality of vertical channels 38 which begin at the bottom wall and terminate at 48, the bottom portion of transverse channel 46. As can be seen from FIGURE 2, the bottom wall transverse ridge 34 will fit into channel 46 and provide stacking of filled containers. Channel member 38 strengthens channel 46 by extending to 48. End wall 4 is provided with outwardly facing gripping means 50 and 54 which are adapted to secure a wire ring 56 as shown in FIGURE 6. End wall 6 is provided with an upwardly facing gripping means 52 which is adapted to attach wire ring 56 when the wire ring is in the position shown in FIGURE 1.

In operation, when desirable to use the container for carrying articles such as egg boxes, milk cartons and the like, the wire 56 is in the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. In this position, the end walls 4 and 6 are substantially vertical, i.e. at about 90 from the bottom walls.

When it is desirable to store the containers or ship them, wire 56 can be rotated about grippers 50 and attached to grippers 54 as shOWn in FIGURE 6. In this position, end walls 4 and 6 can rotate outwardly about pin 26 and can be nested as shown in FIGURE 5.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, there is shown an embodiment in which an integral hinge is used in the bottom wall of the container. In this embodiment, bottom walls 16 and 18 are joined by integral hinge 60. Side wall portions 8 and 12 come together at 62. The slot 62 extends down to the bottom wall. As can be seen from FIGURE 4, the joining of side walls 8 and 12 at 62 prevents further rotation of the bottom wall about hinge 60 after the end walls have reached a predetermined position, i.e. the vertical position. Thus, slot 62 in combination with side walls 8 and 12 restrict the rotation of end walls 4 and 6 toward each other passed the vertical position. The integral hinge shown in FIGURE 4 allows the container to be molded in one piece (with the exception of the stiffening wire rod).

Referring now to FIGURE 7, there is shown an embodiment of the invention wherein the wire rod stiffening means extends partially across the top of the container. There is provided in the top portion of the end walls slots 64 which allow the wire to pass therethrough so that stacking is thereby facilitated, In all other respects, the

container can be constructed like the containers shown in the other drawings.

Whereas the invention has been described with reference to a wire stiffening means, it is obvious that other types of stiffening means can be provided. For example, a belt or clasp could be attached across the top of the side walls. However, the preferable embodiment of the invention is to have the stiffening means a continuous wire rod. The wire stiffening means can be made out of any suitable metal such as steel, aluminum, copper, out of fibrous materials such as rope or out of any thermoplastic material.

The container is preferably constructed out of a thermoplastic material which includes polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene-l and copolymers thereof, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, or any other suitable structural material. The container can also be made out of thermosetting materials although thermoplastic materials are preferred.

While the container has been described in the drawings as having a preferable shape and configuration, it is obvious that other designs can be provided. The important features of the invention are the hinge at the bottom wall and the separable fastener at the top of the side or end walls.

Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure, the drawings, and the claims to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. A nestable and stackable container comprising (a) a rectangular bottom wall having first and second opposite sides and first and second opposite ends and having a hinge extending from said first side to said second side,

(b) first and second upright end walls integrally connected to said bottom wall at said first end and said second end of said bottom wall, respectively, said upright end walls being so connected to said bottom wall that each end wall can rotate about said hinge away from each other when said end walls are in the upright condition, thereby permitting nesting of the container with other similar empty containers,

(0) separable stiffening means, and

(d) first and second holding means in the top portion of said first and second end walls, respectively, to releasably hold said stiffening means onto said' end walls, said stiffening means preventing said first and second end walls from rotating away from one another from the upright position in which upright position said container is stackable when said stiffening means is held by said first and second holding means, and permitting said first and second end walls to be rotated away from one another from the upright position to a nestable position when said stiffening means is released from at least one of said first and second holding means.

2. A container according to claim 1 wherein said first end wall has a third holding means in a bottom portion thereof to engage said stiffening means, said third holding means being spaced from said first holding means at the top portion of said first end wall so that said first and third holding means can grip said stiffening means in a nestable position when said stiffening means is not engaging said second holding means.

3. A container according to claim 1 wherein said bottom wall is formed in two parts, each part having upwardly extending side walls attached to said first and second sides of said bottom wall, the side walls of each part having a means to form a pivotable hinge in the bottom portion of said side walls,

4. A container according to claim 1 wherein said stiffening means comprises a wire loop which fits around the top portion of said first and second end walls.

5. A container according to claim 1 wherein said bottom wall is molded in one piece with said hinge being integral in said bottom wall.

6. A container according to claim 2 wherein said first holding means comprises at least a first pair of gripping means located on said first end wall and facing outwardly and said second holding means comprises at least a second pair of gripping means located on said second end Wall and facing upwardly so that said stiffening means is insertable into said second pair of gripping means when engaged by said first pair of gripping means on said first end Wall.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/ 1960 Mitchell 2204 8/1966 Wilson 220--97 

